LAHORE – Kangaroos eyes big score before Babar led unit fought back on the first day of the last Test in Lahore, with Cummins squad ending day one on 232/5.
The visitors opted to bat first after winning the toss as Men in Green got the help of pacer Naseem Shah who played in place of Faheem Ashraf.
Cummins squad were in hot waters early on, as young quick Shaheen Afridi continued astonishing rhythm as he got David Warner on 7. In the same over, he dismissed top player Marnus Labuschagne for a duck.
Stumps! A good Day 1 for 🇵🇰 #BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/p6GF3AuryK
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 21, 2022
Later, Pakistani-born Australian Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith got hold of the pitch and Australia headed to lunch at 70/2.
The duo continued the momentum following the session, as hosts aimed to take other players on a flat wicket. No Pakistani seamer including Nauman Ali and Sajid troubled Aussie hitters.
The 138-run stand was then broken by Naseem Shah as he dismissed Steve Smith for 59. Travis Head then joined Khawaja who got a second moment as Sajid dropped a crucial catch.
Pakistani skipper Babar Azam, who earlier etched his name in history books with rare feats, pulled off a stunning catch of Khawaja who walked back to the pavilion in the nineties for the second time in the series.
As the game continued youngblood Shah produce another brilliant delivery, getting the ball to shape in from the fourth stump.
On day two, Alex Carey and Cameron Green will resume day two in Lahore at 232/5.
The three-match series is tied at 0-0 after the first two games in Rawalpindi and Karachi ended in draws.
Today’s match was said to be historic as the headquarters of Pakistan cricket, Lahore is staging a Test after 13 years.
The historic Test will also end seasoned batter Azhar Ali’s wait for a Test appearance at his home ground.
Azhar is perhaps the only cricketer to have had to endure a nearly 12-year wait to make a Test appearance at his home ground. Since making his Test debut against Australia at Lord’s in July 2010, Azhar has featured in 93 Tests amassing 6926 runs at 43.01 (19 centuries) and none of these appearances have come at his home city, Lahore.
93 Tests – none at home ground!@AzharAli_ will finally get a chance to play a Test in his hometown Lahore from tomorrow, his 94th Test for 🇵🇰#BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/duEEgQmsho
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 20, 2022
A day earlier, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is also excited ahead of his first Test in Lahore, saying that he wsa unable to explain his feelings in words for playing on home ground for the first time.
Babar Azam over the moon ahead of first match at home ground
Meanwhile, Shaheens and Kangaroos are eyeing a series-winning victory following two batting-dominated draws.
SQUADS
Australia: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Nathan Lyon.
Pakistan: Imam Ul Haq, Abdullah Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (C), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Hassan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah.
